[Mid] re: "Earning" a peerage- philosophy and questions

Avery wrote:
 "Earn" seems like the logical verb to describe their development.
>>
>And Durr replied:
>ya azzunish! Permit me to disagree. "Earning" implies payment for
>services rendered, and if that is so, then what is the price of
peerage?

It seemed to me that part of what Finnvar objected to in my original
posts on belts was the idea of "earning" a peerage. This set me to
thinking about why I think this way. Avery and Durr's exchange ties in
nicely. I'm not sure how clear my thought will be, so if this makes no
sense, let me know and I'll try again.

First let me define what I think a peerage or a belt is (and I am
speaking metaphorically, not in the physical, garb-accessory-you-can-
touch sense). To be either a belted student or to be a peer is to enter
into an unwritten contract on the role you are fulfilling, not just
with your sponsoring peer (for the student) or with the Crown (for the
peer) but with the populace around you. On the part of the wearer,
these symbols are a public statement that the wearer accepts the
responsibility to live a good and ethical life according to the tenets
of chivalry, to act on those tenets in ways that benefit the world as a
whole and not just the individual in specific, and a willingness to
be judged by others on how he/she does this. The non-wearers accept
this public symbol as such. They trust the wearers to live this way,
and allow them certain opportunities in turn - such as the opportunity
to lead, to fix problems, to nurture the people of the Society, etc.
Both the belt and the peerage are a trust, and in that respect, can be
earned. One earns them by one's behavior. Or lack thereof.

In some ways, our culture has been incredibly, brilliantly sneaky. We
have taken a difficult but necessary role and made it into something
prestigious and sought after. (Think about that - for example, somebody
had to protect the clan from the bears, but them bears got claws... and
they EAT people! You mean you want ME to go stop the bear and maybe get
eaten so you don't have to? SCARY!) We glorify these roles, make them
sought after, make the traits that embody them something we all want to
be. (Ooooh - look: that's the Bearcatcher. Isn't he strong and handsome
and wonderful?) And we connect them to responsibility that makes the
traits work for all of our wellbeing.

Durr asked what is the price of being a peer. What do I pay in exchange
for the coronet and medallion I wear? Well, like everyone else in the
SCA, I'm here because I have fun. And certainly some peerage things are
fun for me. I really like mentoring, and I get to do that because I'm a
peer. I like helping find the answers to weird administrative
situations, and making administrations work smoother. I like working
for the Crown. But I attend every event knowing that Something Ugly May
Happen and I will have to drop all the things I want to do to Help Out.
I may miss parties, or the chance to dance, or talk to my friends, or
sleep, or any number of other personal, private needs and desires, in
exchange for the well-being of the world around me. And some of those
things aren't fun for me. Some are beyond not fun and into depressing,
exhausting, worrisome, enemy-making, friend-losing, etc. I put my own
private "want-to's" away to serve the needs of the Society or its
members around me. Even beyond actions are subtler things about how I
have promised to live in the SCA. I have promised to be a good role
model. That means I don't get to run around in scrungy garb, no matter
how much more comfortable it may be than formal clothing. I moderate my
behavior to be a good role model. As one peer friend says "Teresa may
say 'fuck' but Mistress Elwynor does not." I may be feeling silly or
witty or obnoxious, but I don't heckle in court. I may be cranky or
miserable or unhappy, but I don't create scenes, and I don't take it
out on other people. I don't get to just re-act. I have to be aware of
what I do and make sure it reflects well on my committment to the
ideals of chivlary. That takes a lot of work. And when I screw that up,
as I do from time to time, I have to go fix it, and I have to
apologize, and I have to do my damdest to do better next time.

I do pay a price for being a peer, and sometimes it is a very heavy
one. Most of the peers I know, at some point, have felt like the burden
of peerage is TOO heavy, and thought about laying it down and quitting.
But we don't do it. Me, I hate pain. I can't bear the thought of
unhappy people. I want people to be happy, to live and learn and grow
and prosper. I can't bear the thought that they might be a little
happier or a little healthier if I did some action or other, and then
not do it. I will be that way whether or not I am a member of a peerage
order. And my committment to that is how I "earn" the membership in
that peerage order.

This idea of "earning" a peerage is so integral to my ideas of what
peerage is that I don't understand how others consider it. If you don't
think a peerage is earned, would you tell me why? How does one get one?
What does one do with it? Why does it exist? I truly mean this, and am
not being sarcastic. Nor is this directed only at peers. I hope those
of you who are not members of peerage orders will comment on it, too.
In my view, my peerage exists solely for your benefit, and it belongs
to you. If I can learn better how to serve you, I would be very
grateful.

Yours,
Garlanda
From: kms3@ix.netcom.com (Kellene Stets)
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Received on Mon Jan 12 21:36:46 1998